writing

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? That poem, among the most famous by Langston Hughes, was written in 1951. A prelude to the civil rights movement, it is among the quintessential examples of how arts …

There was one about a blind date. There was another about keeping kosher, but sneaking BLTs. And then there was one about our family’s store surviving the Great Depression thanks to help from a friend. Sign up for the AARP Health Newsletter Pop Pop used to love telling stories. He was 96 when he passed away last fall, which gave us almost 30 years together. That’s a lot of time to talk-and a lot of time to listen. I feel …

“Did my wife put you up to this?” Carlos Fuentes asked me when I insisted he wear a tie for our (AARP VIVA’s) on-camera interview and cover photo shoot. Fuentes, an elegant soul, a gentleman, and a literary master, was also stubborn as a mule. I say this partly as a compliment, for I too am stubborn as all good Basques should be; but I was equally frustrated, for he had already tried my patience the day before when he …

Let me start by telling you this is not what I had intended to write about this week, but after several twist and turns on Tuohy Turnpike 101, I did a Dukes of Hazard slide and changed directions. First, I never imagined so many of you would enjoy my blog post on theÂ time spent in the ladies’ room last Sunday. I’m so glad some of you enjoyed the experience, even if you were living vicariously through me. Secondly, you are …

Check out these tips from AARP on how to write about your life story, whether it be a memoir, personal essay, or something entirely different. This simple advice can send you on your way to a beautiful piece to share with your loved ones, or a best-selling book to share with the world! Here’s one: Start with gripping. Best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert didn’t begin Eat, Pray, Love with the prosaic sentence “I was born in Waterbury, Connecticut.” Her first chapter …

Abigail Thomas has a thoughtful piece up on AARP on writing a memoir, saying, "To write a memoir, cultivate the habit of listening to yourself." Not only does she talk about her own personal journey towards and through memoir-writing, but gives us inspirational advice on how to tune into our inner writer, step by step.